Everyone loves cheering on their favorite teams during the intense NFL football season. Even though we are only in week 8, things are really starting to heat up.

So far in this NFL season, the New England Patriots are one of the top favorites to make an appearance in the Super Bowl. This team has made it to the American Football Conference (AFC) playoffs the last 12 of the 13 years and are favored to do so once again this year. The Patriots have been rated in the top 10 for their unforgettable defensive line. They continue to improve as the season goes on with Tom Brady back as their starting quarterback after his 4 game suspension for his involvement in “deflategate.”

Pittsburgh Steelers are considered to be one of the biggest threats to the Patriots in the AFC, currently dominating their division. The Steelers are on the heels of the Patriots with the 4 and 2 record while the Patriots carry their 5 and 1.

The top contenders to keep in mind are the Seattle Seahawks, Arizona Cardinals, Green Bay Packers, Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Carolina Panthers. Although the AFC clearly stated their favorite, the National Football Conference (NFC) was harder to determine. However, one of the conference’s best teams would be the Seahawks, scoring the least amount of points in the league for four seasons straight. While the Cardinals are ahead of the Panthers in standing, they are both still favorites to make it to the playoffs. In addition, even though the Panthers went to the Super Bowl last year and are still considered to be favored for the playoffs, their current record is a grim 1 and 5.

Although our favorite home team, the Denver Broncos, is not far behind, their game is still a question yet to be answered. They are continuing to play with their rookie quarterback, Trevor Siemian, after Peyton Manning retired. As of week 7, last year’s Superbowl Champions are currently 4-2. As a result, the Chiefs and the Raiders have an equally likely chance to achieve a better outcome over the Broncos in the AFC West and make the playoffs.

It is important to not discount the underdog. Remember January 4, 2014? This wild card playoff game was truly a game changer. Kansas City Chiefs were able to build a 31-10 lead by halftime. They added a touchdown on their opening drive of the second half to increase their lead to 38-10; that’s when the game really took a crazy turn. Indianapolis Colts’ quarterback threw three second-half touchdown passes while also scoring a touchdown on a fumble recovery into the end zone. The Chiefs were able to add two second-half field goals, but that wasn’t enough. The final touchdown pass, a 64-yard throw, proved to be the game-winner, giving the Colts a 45-44 victory. You really never know what will happen.

Although it is very early in the season, many of these predictions are holding true. The Patriots continue to dominate their division and the rest of the NFL teams.